Departmental Publications

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) leaflets, (b) posters and (c) reports his Department has published since May 2010; how much each cost; and which company (i) published and (ii) designed each.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a central contract with Corporate Document Services (CDS) for the provision of printing services. The contract covers a range of printed material in both paper and other materials using all forms of printing methods and technology. The contract can be used for Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and other departmental printing requirements. Identifying specific types of order, as defined in the question, would require line by line examination of records. The volume of orders placed through the contract means that this could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Orders placed through the CDS contract may include design work. Orders placed through the contract cover a variety of products; in addition to those products listed in the question, and among many others, the contract covers production of technical publications, periodicals, magazines, forms, business cards, CD/DVD duplication, signage, scanning and microfiche services and internet services.

War Memorials: Theft

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with ministerial colleagues in the Home Office on protecting war memorials from metal thieves.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence has no direct responsibility in this matter, but supports any plan to protect the memory of those who have served and paid the ultimate price defending our country. It is appalling that memorials are being vandalised and violated in the manner reported.
	I am aware that my ministerial colleagues in the Home Office have had a number of discussions with Ministers from other Government Departments to consider what approach should be taken to tackle metal theft.
	The total cost of this contract between 1 May 2010 and 31 October 2011 was £11.78 million. This represents a reduction of almost £2 million from the contract's total cost over the previous 18-month period: 1 November 2008 to 30 April 2010 which was £13.56 million.
	The Government's Central Office of Information (COI) have also managed some printing activity on the Department's behalf. Leaflets and posters printed through COI over the period requested have cost some £100,000.
	On 31 May 2010, the Prime Minister wrote to all Government Departments with plans to open up Government data, with a specific commitment to publish Government expenditure over £25,000. This published information includes payments made to CDS and to COI for any services. For the MOD it can be found at:
	http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/CorporatePublications/FinancialReports/ModSpend/ModSpendOver25000DataFiles.htm